State Improves Its Economic Performance Ranking

Date: April 16, 2014

Rise in one category, slippage in another

The 2014 edition of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual rankings of Rich States, Poor States showed North Dakota still in the top five, improving to fourth best in the nation for economic performance. But it drop to fourth best in the nation, from second last year, in the report’s economic outlook category.

The Rich States, Poor States report uses 15 policy areas to come up with its rankings. “Generally speaking,” says the report, “states that spend less – especially on income transfer programs, and states that tax less – particularly on productive activities such as working or investing – experience higher growth rates.”